One of the best parts about being an educator on Outschool is the chance to teach about the subjects you’re passionate about. But, have you ever considered teaching about your career or the jobs you have experience in? Families are looking for real-life experience, and we’re here to share how you can increase your online enrollments by teaching what you know.

What is career readiness?

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), “Career readiness is a foundation from which [learners] demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare [them] for success in the workplace and lifelong career management.” 

More simply put, career readiness is preparing learners today for their future tomorrow, whether that is preparing them to enter college or the workforce.

At Outschool, educators offer thousands of classes geared toward the learner’s interests and academic growth. With classes focused on career readiness, you can tap into an older audience preparing for the next stages of life after graduation.

Why is career readiness important?

For many high school learners, the decision to go to college or straight into their field of choice is influenced by what they know and the people around them. For some, this may be limited to where they live, their parent’s careers, or their interests.

Allowing learners to explore various career paths opens doors they may not know about otherwise.

Because Outschool is an online platform reaching millions of learners worldwide, offering a class about your profession or using the skills you’ve learned over the years gives learners access to jobs and skills they may not know about otherwise.

Types of career readiness

Thanks to the continuing advancements in technology, new opportunities open every day, and learners are curious about what opportunities exist in the “real world.” As an educator, this is your chance to showcase your knowledge and lived experience.

Let’s look at three areas of career readiness and how you can offer classes to meet this demand.

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

If you have lived experience within a particular profession or field, you should consider creating career-related classes focusing on topics around your subject-matter expertise. Career and Technical Education, also known as CTE, provides learners with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in high-demand careers. 

In a traditional high school, CTE classes may cover agriculture, building and construction, fashion and design, hospitality, marketing, and transportation, to name a few. Offering a class sharing your personal experience and knowledge can be incredibly valuable to the learner who wants to enter that profession. Think about what you’ve learned in your career and let learners discover new ideas, career opportunities, and even how a company or business works from someone with first-hand experience.

Test Prep 

When it comes to career readiness, many people think of test prep as the ACT or SAT in the United States, the STAT in Australia, or the GCSE in the UK. Although they are not the only prerequisites that colleges and universities look at (and some schools, like Harvard, no longer require them), they do help and can help learners earn merit scholarships or apply for financial aid (at least in the US).

But did you know that certain trade professions also have certification or competency tests? 

Learners considering going into a technical career or trade may have to understand the basic skills and knowledge to start. For example, web developers, electricians, plumbers, and other essential jobs do not necessarily need a college degree but they do require a certain level of education and proficiency to gain employment.

If you’re looking to expand your class catalog, consider what skills and certifications you have that could help someone wanting to enter into that career.

For more examples of test prep classes on Outschool, take a look at what is currently available under the Test Prep category.

General readiness classes

Keep in mind that CTE and test prep are not the only ways to share your knowledge. Many of the transferable skills you’ve learned in your career are equally important life skills that can help for many years to come.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Interviewing skills
• Communication skills 
• Resume-writing workshops
• Essay-writing workshops
• Time management
• Leadership skills
• Project management
• Basic computer skills
• Presentation skills

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! 

Life skill classes for learners could also include knowing how to do their laundry, make a meal, or balance a checkbook, skills that can apply to several careers!

Creating career readiness classes

Ready to create a new listing to share your knowledge, passion, or skills? Below are the steps to get started.

Step 1

Create a list of certifications, training, or life skills that you use in your career, or that helped you during school. Remember, even the skills you think are basic or common sense may not be to someone else. 

Step 2

Consider your audience. Learners of all ages may want to know more about becoming a firefighter or veterinarian, but certain topics are more appropriate for different age groups.  For example, US learners in the 8th and 9th grades take the 8/9 PSAT, whereas 11th graders take the SAT. While they seem the same, the exams test different material based on the learner’s age.

Step 3

Define your class length. Some topics may only need one class to share information. Other, more in-depth topics, may need multiple meetings since the knowledge builds. You can also group skills together as a series. These may include organization, time management, or leadership skills in classes that do not have an end date where learners can join at any time.

Step 4

Go beyond the basics. Don’t just list a class and wish for the best. Take the time to market your classes by sharing them on social media, messaging families, or creating coupons. 

Step 5

Expand on what is already working. If you teach English Language Arts (ELA) it may be an easy transition to offer college essay writing classes or resume writing classes.As a high-school math teacher, you may have insight into how to break down the math questions on the SAT or offer tutoring for those word problems learners often struggle with. Use your already successful Outschool classes to grow your list of class options.

There you have it! If you want to grow your online teaching business, consider offering CTE, test prep, or life skill classes on Outschool. For more information about how to increase enrollments, check out our Educator Library.